Modern Chassis Dynamics for Classic American Cars and Trucks

Chassis Development

Every ACD chassis begins with the vehicle itself. Wheelbase, track width, ride height, weight distribution, suspension travel, steering, braking, wheel and tire packaging, and intended use all influence the chassis and suspension design.

Rather than designing around predetermined dimensions, ACD develops the suspension geometry and chassis packaging together to achieve the best combination of ride quality, handling, steering response, braking, stability, and real-world drivability for each platform.

Vehicle-Specific Geometry

C7 Upright Integration

Grand-Touring Compliance

Every chassis is engineered for precise kinematics, optimizing roll centers, camber curves, and steering response for its platform.

Utilizing C7 Corvette aluminum upright architecture provides superior ball-joint separation, offering geometric freedom for control arm design.

Our designs balance high-performance handling with real-world drivability, ensuring comfort and stability on the road.

ACD 3100 C7 Development Program

Grand-Touring Performance

Developed to combine excellent ride quality with responsive handling, precise steering, strong braking, stability, and the real-world drivability expected from a modern performance vehicle.

Purpose-Built for 1947–1954 Chevrolet and GMC Pickups

The ACD 3100 C7 Development Program is being developed specifically for 1947–1954 Chevrolet 3100 and GMC 100 pickups. Using C7 Corvette front and rear uprights as the foundation, ACD is developing the suspension geometry, control-arm locations, steering, braking, motion ratios, ride height, wheel and tire packaging, and chassis structure specifically around the requirements of these trucks.

Suspension Foundation

Why C7 Front and Rear Uprights?

ACD uses C7 Corvette front and rear uprights as the foundation for developing vehicle-specific suspension systems. The upright provides the wheel bearing, brake mounting, ball-joint locations, and connection between the wheel and suspension, while ACD develops the surrounding geometry and chassis around the requirements of each vehicle.

The primary advantage is the substantial upper-to-lower ball-joint separation. This gives ACD significant freedom to determine control-arm lengths, angles, and chassis pickup locations while developing camber gain, roll-center behavior, caster, steering geometry, motion ratios, suspension travel, and wheel and tire packaging for the vehicle.

The C7 architecture also provides lightweight aluminum uprights, modern bolt-on hub and bearing assemblies, wheel-speed sensing capability, excellent brake options, strong OEM and aftermarket parts availability, and serviceable components that can be replaced without relying on proprietary ACD parts.

Using both front and rear C7 uprights also provides a modern foundation for developing independent front and rear suspension systems across multiple classic vehicle platforms.

The upright is the foundation. ACD develops the suspension and chassis around the needs of the vehicle.

The digital design is translated into CNC-cut chassis components and purpose-built fixtures that accurately locate the frame structure and suspension pickup points during fabrication.

Prototype assembly and physical testing provide the opportunity to evaluate the complete system, identify areas for improvement, and refine the design before it moves into production.